There may not be a more unsung position in sports than the nose guard/tackle on a football team.
It is their job to plug up the middle of the field if the opponent tries to run the ball and apply pressure to the quarterback if they try to throw.
The nose guard is usually double-teamed and has to find a way to hold his ground and space. If he does, that frees up the linebackers to make the tackle for a small gain or no gain.
He may be the major reason a play gets blown up and doesn’t produce any yards yet because he isn’t involved in the tackle, he doesn’t get any credit for his role in it.
John Costanza will be playing in his 38th career game as an interior defensive lineman for the University of Maine’s football team on Saturday when it hosts Monmouth University (N.J.) at 3:30 p.m. in Orono at Morse Field in Alfond Stadium.
“I love playing in the defensive line. I love being in the trenches,” said Costanza, one of the team’s co-captains along with tight end Cooper Heisey. “I’ve played the defensive line my entire life.”
Costanza, a senior, said playing the position comes naturally to him.
“I’ve always been a team-over-me guy so I’ll do anything to help the team. I’ll take up a double-team, a triple-team, whatever is needed. I’ll sit in my gap and let someone else make the tackle,” said the 6-foot-4, 300-pound native of Brick Township, New Jersey.
He said as a nose guard or nose tackle, you need a certain edge.
“You need something most other players don’t want to have. You have to come off the ball every play and put your hands on somebody. You have to be willing to run through somebody’s face and assert dominance on every play,” Costanza said.
Costanza is off to the best start in his career with nine tackles through UMaine’s first two games, putting him third on the team in that category.
He was involved in six tackles in last Saturday’s 41-24 loss at No. 3 Montana State. That was tied for second among players on both teams behind UMaine linebacker Kesean Dyson’s eight.
“He was really impressive against Montana State,” said UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens. “He was running sideline to sideline, making plays outside the numbers.”
Costanza is coming off his best season as a Black Bear having been involved in 26 tackles in 11 games last season including 3 ½ for lost yards and two sacks. Those were all career-highs.
“To see how he has progressed the last few years has been impressive,” said Stevens. “He played a ton last year and has been real steady and durable. That speaks to his training and to how good a shape he’s in.”
Stevens praised Costanza’s flexibility and balance and noted that his work ethic and leadership have earned the respect of his teammates as evidenced by his being named a co-captain.
“He is a real high-character guy, someone you want your players to follow,” Stevens added.
Costanza said he was honored to be named a captain.
Costanza feels he has improved every year but also pointed out that “each and every game, I can still see things I need to work on and get better with. But I feel better every game I go out there.”
He is constantly working to get quicker feet and to be able to make a speedier transition from run to pass.
“I need to get off the ball (quickly) when I see pass and get to the quarterback,” he said.
Costanza has a strong sense of family and that’s what led him to UMaine.
“I had a very good camp in Maryland and when I was leaving, the Maine coaches offered me a scholarship. From that day on, they didn’t leave my side. And they were asking me more about my family than about football. My mom was sick and they wanted to know how she and my brothers were,” said Costanza. “That meant more to me than football.”
He loves being in Maine and calls it his escape.
“I’m from the Jersey shore,” he said. “Maine is a good place to focus on football and relax.”
Nose tackles absorb a lot of bumps and bruises but he calls it part of the game.
“You don’t really feel the pain until the adrenaline wears off. Once it’s game time and you’re flying around for two hours, you don’t really feel anything. But once you settle down a little bit, you feel the wear and tear.”
The position is fun, Costanza said.
“It’s a selfless position,” said Stevens. “You have to be physical and commit to physicality and he certainly has that. We’re fortunate to have him.”
Costanza will have an interesting assignment on Saturday when the Black Bears open their Coastal Athletic Association schedule by hosting Monmouth University and quarterback Derek Robertson, who was UMaine’s quarterback last season.
“Players come and go. It’s just another ballgame. He was here and we made a connection with him but now he’s wearing a different jersey so it’s go time,” said Costanza.
The Black Bears are 1-1 while Monmouth is 0-2 but Robertson has thrown for 745 yards which is third best in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The Black Bears are coming off consecutive 2-9 seasons and Costanza said this team is different from the previous two.
“We have a lot more confidence,” said Costanza who added that he is excited about the game and the rest of the season.